Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend

First off I'm happy as it seems most people are that this game completely ignores Angel of Darkness. The past two games before Legend didn't speak to well for the TR franchise.

Finally Eidos gave it to a new developer for a fresh look. While I started to think that anything would've been acceptable after AOD. That's not the case with this game.

This game is good and makes sure to stand out. It does bring back a lot of the good stuff that we missed from the TR games. Tombs galore for this game. That's a good thing since the game is called "Tomb" Raider. There are a few city levels, but they are done better than AOD's city levels.

The only flaws I have with the game is there is virtually only one vehicle in the game and it's plays very linear. Also the fact that there are only two main types of enemies excluding bosses. The humans are abundant. There is not a lot of variety with animal enemies in this, but at least they are in it.

There is one thing I kept feeling while playing the game though. It feels as if Crystal Dynamics made this game to draw back in the hardcore fans of Tomb Raider and show they there is hope yet for the struggling franchise. It's almost experimental in a way for something bigger to come and I can't wait.

All right, here's the deal. Tomb Raider:legend rocks. In fact, this game is sOoOoO much better than any other Tomb Raider, it's safe to say the series has indeed, been saved. Why? Off the top of my head ( as minutes before this online entry I wrapped the game): 1. It's pretty. My only bitch slip is that when Lara is done pumping some baddie or rabid cougar full of the ol' metal injection via her two pistals, shotgun, or semi-automatic, they blip and disappear. Kinda takes the realism out of it, a mistake they should have noted in Angel of Darkness. I know it sounds morbid as more or less I'm demanding the presence of my enemy's corpses, but it's just strange.... whatever. 2. Lara is no longer the stiff, frigid, mechanical, rigid, cubic, movement inclined... OK, you get the point, character from the previous iterations. She -get this-... MOVES! And moves properly! You'll be playing through this game, and the controller literally cradles your every whim with the best controls for this series... EVER! And since this game involves split second button presses, it's an aspect of the game that if not done properly, would have ruined the franchise and damaged it... a lot. 3. The story. What the hell was with Angel of Darkness? You know what, I don't even wanna know. You know what I do wanna know? When Legend will become a movie, it's that good. I loved this story, and I won't spoil it, but wow. It's not the best story ever, not a Final Fantasy or Metal Gear, but it urges you to continue long after an area or puzzle has you stumped, and that's just fine by me. I loved the character of Amanda, and Lara is wicked witty in this game. The ending leads nicely into the next game, unlike Angel which just left me with an urge slathor my game disc with meat sauce and feed it to my dog. 4. TOMBS! A tomb with a view... I love the tomb areas, as... ya know, your raiding again! Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of moments outside the archaic monuments, but nothing even compares to the tomb moments. The puzzles are more organic, and although the "pull the lever crap" is still in this one, it's minimal. So I likey:) A lot! 5.Bottom line, Lara is back. I like where the series is headed. Crystal Dynamics really did their homework for this game. On a personal note, I loved the music as well. The ambiance the music creates is subtle, but just as easily as it can permeate like a whisper, it has thumping moments of bravado, and I love the motorcycle music, of which there are two instances. Yeah for Ducati! This game has restored my faith, and I know it will be successful, as they have retained the essence of Tomb Raider, while importing new ideas ( the grapple mechanism rocks!). I am guessing a movie reprise will surface at some point or another as the games begin to become more refined. Now that Cyrstal Dynamics has stepped into the water, I wanna see what they have planned next. BUY THIS GAME!! * (the mansion you get to explore kicks a lot also!:)*

I bought Tomb Raider the day of the UK release, I finished the main story 2 days later. But I'm still hunting for the rewards which is a week later and I'm almost done!

Brilliant game, nice and simple storyline (more or less), which plays on one of the best legends of all time, King Arthur etc.

The levels could have done with being longer, and it would have been better if they're were more. But what was there was brilliant (except for the motorbike bits, a little dull and repetitive). There are plenty of Tombs, my favourite being in Africa. There is a nice change of pace in the Japan and Russia levels that are more modern. All have great puzzles and secrets along the way.

Lara has more to say for once and is voiced perfectly by Keely Hawes of Spooks fame. All the dialogue is perfectly executed for the character of Lara, the scenes with Rutland and Takamoto are excellent and show she is capable of more than making big jumps! A fine role model for young women. Her movements fit her dialogue in the cutscenes, and in the game play she flows like an eagle on an up-drift! Lara is aided by Zip (her tech guy), Alister (her history/research guy) and Winston (butler, minus the hump from the old games). Winston doesn't get much of a look-in but the other 2 provide comic relief, and insight into the story. The weapons are OK, but you only really need her Pistols, which are upgradable.

The only serious problem i have with this Tomb Raider is the mansion. Its crap compared to previous efforts. You can only go outside into a courtyard and apart from that there are 5 rooms. There's a lot to find, but it just lacks the spark of running around the huge house, with the butler slowly strolling after you. It doesn't compare well. A mixture of the two would be perfect.

All in all a good game. Minor flaws in comparison to other Tomb Raider games, but they weren't perfect either. A mixture of the game play and story of Legend with the length and mansion of previous games is all we need. There will clearly be a sequel due to the huge cliffhanger at the end of the game that leaves you wanting more, but hopefully you won't have to wait too long! 8.5/10

P.S She looks great! Real for once!

Tomb Raider legend wasn't the best Tomb Raider game due to the lack of challenge, linearity and shortness of the game. However, the controls did give a great feeling, so just think of what can be achieved if they fix the flaws.

If they can fix the stuff mentioned above, bringing back the "Current Position" (Meaning; replaying levels, when you save, you restart from that checkpoint when you load and not restart the whole level), keeping your equipment when replaying (and not finding stuff in the final part of the game and have it in the beginning when reloading a level), beating a replayed level, the game will take you to the next one and not to the main menu, and making Lara hold the guns in the classic way, I think it would be safe to say that Tomb raider really IS back.

7/10. Would've scored more if the game was challenging and long.

I suck at video games. Really, I'm godawful at them, but I play them constantly. However, I beat this game and that's one of the reasons I love it so much. As everybody and his grandma knows, the Tomb Raider franchise was rapidly heading down the drain and Angel of Darkness had the distinct odor of sewage about it. (I liked it, but it is pretty darn terrible.) Gone are the days of precision positioning for jumps, and welcome to the new era of "That's close enough; I guess I'll grab it." There were several occasions where my jumps were way off but Lara obliged me anyway. The emphasis in this game is on making the action look good, and not difficult to pull off. This results in a game that anyone can play--a game that many people consider way too easy. I must concur--if I can beat it anyone can. The lesser difficulty is all but forgotten though, when you send Lara jumping and swinging across a room without stopping once. "Damn," you say to yourself, "that was COOL!" Speaking of COOL!, Lara may be practically superhuman but she still has that damned Breath Bar. Purists of the series were glad to see that the Angel of Darkness Grip Bar is nowhere to be found--if you want to hang Lara off a ledge and go eat lunch, she'll wait patiently until you get back.

I have both the Xbox360 and Xbox versions of the game (and I'm getting the 'Cube version as soon as it hits the shelves) and I can honestly say they both look stunning. Lara's character model is practically identical in both versions, but the backgrounds are where the main difference is. The 360 version has a lot more polish to it, with some fantastic lighting effects, but the Xbox version actually features some details the 360 doesn't. For instance, when Lara pulls herself out of the water, she drips. No dripping in the 360 version, but she does get shinier. (Anyone remember the Shiny Everything Period on the original Xbox? Even rocks shimmered in pitch black darkness.) Also, there are several moments when Lara is covered in dirt and bruised after sustaining damage, but the 360 version doesn't show that. Maybe I just didn't get damaged enough, but I never noticed any cosmetic changes on the 360.

Ah, cosmetic changes--Lara looks pretty darn good for umpteen thousand polygons stuck together. She's more muscular and athletic looking, and those breasts are a little less "at attention" than previous outings. In fact, Lara Croft has undergone a dramatic personality change as well, in that she actually has one now. Big thank you to whoever called Keeley Hawes and said, "I know it's not your usual thing but would you be interested in doing some voicework?" She is PERFECT in the role, and I'm not exaggerating. Our new Lara has a sense of humor, and even a little sarcasm. (Favorite line: when she loses communication with Zip and Alister she mutters "All those satellites and computers just to perfect the art of talking to oneself." Not only is that hilarious, but she sounds so irritated when she says it! Now THERE is a globetrotting archaeologist that would be fun to talk to.) That's not to say that she's all sunshine and giggles, because the end of the game actually features some pretty intense acting, and Miss Hawes handles it wonderfully. Lara's intensity is actually a little frightening, but it's what the story calls for.

The story--this game explains why Lara does what she does. She is actually searching for someone that was taken from her when she was a little girl. It seemed that the person (no spoilers here!) died, but perhaps there's another explanation. Lara is determined to find out, and as things progress she discovers an artifact of immense power and a myth with branches that span the globe. (Sound epic? It is!) The journey takes Lara everywhere, from Bolivia to Kazakhstan. It's also nice to note that she actually dresses for cold climates now, as opposed to braving them in that little tank top and those trademark shorts of hers. As if you can concentrate on flinging yourself from one icy precipice to another when you're freezing your butt off! As per usual, I shall end this review with griping and whining--not much though, because as I stated earlier, I LOVE THIS GAME. The camera presents problems, because it frequently shows the most aesthetic view and not the most practical one. The motorcycle sequences are a little tedious, but Zip's cheering makes them more bearable. The game is incredibly short--it took me several hours to complete it, but I was replaying levels like mad. Lara's house can be finished in one sitting with a little patience, so there's no need to visit it more than once. Last and least, the game ends quite abruptly and you'll feel left hanging like you wouldn't believe. In fact, I had no idea the game was over until the credits started to roll--that's how abrupt it is. That's a very minor complaint, though, because it just shows us that another game is in the works.

In closing, the game reinvents and reinvigorates a beloved franchise and it does it beautifully. Let me finish with this statement--IF THE NEXT GAME IS A WEAK TIE-IN TO ANOTHER GODAWFUL FILM WITH ANGELINA JOLIE I WILL MURDERIZE SOMEBODY! I'm sorry for the drama but I've heard the rumor and it scares me.